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How-To Geek

There was a time when Macs and PCs were very different, but they’re now basically the same. Open a MacBook up and you’ll find the same hardware you’d find in a PC Ultrabook.

The time for dividing computers into “PCs” and “Macs” is over. With more and more people are using mobile devices like smartphones and tablets, Mac OS X is just another PC operating system alongside Windows and Linux.

The Historical Meaning of “PC”

“PC” has several different meanings. On one extreme, PC just means “personal computer,” and smartphones and tablets are just as much PCs as laptops and desktops. On the other extreme, “PC” originally meant “IBM PC-compatible.” These were computers that were compatible with IBM’s PC architecture. They had a BIOS and could run all the same operating systems, like IBM’s PC-DOS and Microsoft’s MS-DOS. This was a standard architecture computers could conform to so they’d be compatible with the software that ran on other IBM PCs or IBM PC-compatible PCs. IBM no longer makes PCs, so this description isn’t accurate.

IBM PCs became less common and eventually vanished, so the term”IBM PC-compatible” fell out of favor. “Wintel” PCs replaced them — Windows-compatible PCs with an Intel x86 chip inside.

People continued to use the term “PC” for those Windows-on-Intel-x86 machines. But there was nothing intrinsically Windows-only about a PC. PCs originally ran DOS, and today many PCs run Linux. There have been other PC operating systems like IBM OS/2 and BeOS, too. “PC” may be synonymous with Windows to many people, but it shouldn’t be — Linux is also a PC operating system.

Macs Moved From PowerPC to Intel

In the past, a Macintosh’s hardware was very different from a PC’s. Where those Wintel PCs had Intel x86-compatible chips inside, Macs had PowerPC chips. PowerPC was a completely different architecture, so Windows just couldn’t install on a Mac, and Mac OS just couldn’t install on a PC. The difference wasn’t just the operating system, it was the architecture. That’s why a computer that came with OS/2 or BeOS could be considered a PC, but a Mac wasn’t a PC — it wasn’t “PC-compatible.”

In 2006, Apple began transitioning Macs to run on Intel’s x86 chips instead of the PowerPC architecture. This wasn’t just swapping out a chip manufacturer — Mac OS transitioned from being a PowerPC operating system to being an x86 operating system. Macs now use the same Intel chips found in “PCs.” The last version of Mac OS X to even run on PowerPCs at all was Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard back in 2009.

Macs and PCs Have Practically the Same Hardware

Some people seem to think that the hardware in a Mac is very different from the hardware in a PC, but this isn’t true.

The CPU in a Mac is the same Intel CPU you’ll find in Windows Ultrabooks. Companies like Samsung, Toshiba, and SanDisk provide the solid-state drives used in a Mac — these companies make the SSDs you’ll find in Wintel laptops, too. LG and Samsung make the displays. In Mac world, a motherboard is known as a “logic board” — but the logic board is basically the same thing as a motherboard that you’ll find in a PC.

Install Windows on a Mac with Boot Camp and Apple will provide a Windows driver package for you. Many of the drivers in this package are the typical drivers you’d get on a Windows PC.

Some hardware — like those nice trackpads — are specific to Apple’s laptops. But, overall, a MacBook’s internals are practically the same as a PC’s. The hardware may seem higher-quality because Apple’s MacBooks start at $899 with higher-end hardware — there’s no way to buy a $199 Mac with the cheap PC components you’d find in a $199 Windows laptop.

Windows, Linux, and Mac Are All PC Operating Systems

In the past, you couldn’t run Windows on a Mac without an emulator. If you wanted to run Linux on a Mac, you’d have to use the PowerPC port or hunt down a special Linux distribution for Macs, like Yellow Dog Linux. You couldn’t install Mac OS on a PC that came with Windows, either — those operating systems ran on different CPU architectures.

Mac OS X can even be installed on PC hardware — this is what’s known as a “hackintosh.” It isn’t officially supported by Apple. However, it’s possible because you can get PCs with very similar hardware to what you’d find in a Mac. Those hardware drivers Apple writes specifically for its Mac hardware can work just as well on a PC with the same hardware.

Macs Make Great Windows or Linux PCs

Macs can even make great Windows or Linux PCs. If you’re searching for a great PC laptop, it doesn’t make sense to restrict yourself specifically to only computers that come with Windows or Linux. Many people buy Macs specifically to run Windows or even Linux on them.

If you’re looking at a more expensive laptop, Apple’s MacBook Air and MacBook Pro laptops are some of the best you can buy. Comparable Ultrabooks with basically the same hardware often cost significantly more than a MacBook. When it comes to PCs that cost over $1000, over 90 percent of them are Macs. Apple has a big advantage over the Windows PC manufacturers here — they have an economy of scale and can afford to drop prices, while those PC manufacturers have to keep prices high because they sell so few. Sure, you have to buy a Windows license separately for $100 or so if you plan to run Windows, but it may still be a good deal.

Macs are PCs — nice and expensive ones, but PCs nonetheless. Not all PCs are Macs, but all Macs are PCs.

I am not sure that macs work well (from the user point of view) with linux/windows. I still remember cursing at one button touchpad, while working with windows. And cursing again at software dvd eject button when on linux. I know, it can be set up properly, but still.

To be fair, I remember cursing at the one-button mouse when working with MacOS, too. Apple's approach to the mouse has always sucked. I always found it hilarious that most of the Mac fans I knew at college had Microsoft mice hooked up to their rigs.

It is Apple that won't let us forget they are "different" because you have to have separate training and certifications to work on their hardware professionally. This, along with their attempts at being such a "closed system" are the things that make me dislike them. This is not to say that I have any problem with others using them if they like them. I'll stick with generic hardware and the OS of my choosing though, thanks.

"The last version of Mac OS X to even run on PowerPCs at all was Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard back in 2009."

As far as I know (And I'm a windows guy), wasn't the OS X Leopard 10.5 last edition of Mac OS X than ran on PowerPC architecture !? On the other hand, I'm actually certain that 10.5 Leopard was the last OS X that supported PowerPC architecture.

"Practically" and "basically" the same is not the same. What if I don't want a dual boot system? What if--for some reason--I want a Windows only system on a MacBook? Apple's OS is still tied to its hardware. I remember Mac clones. Mac users abandoned Apple in droves once they didn't have to buy overpriced hardware to get the OS. Apple's hardware is more expensive because Mac heads really can't go anywhere else if they want the OS (that, and much smaller market share)..

I can find a version of Linux to run as the sole OS on a PC. Yes, all cars are basically the same. Technically a Kia is like a BMW. Has anybody used that to sell either?

yeah, I would say the main difference here, is that I can go install Windows or Linux onto basically any computer whereas, OSX not so much.. of course there are Hackintosh guides, but I'd say until Apple officially adds the drivers and allows you to install OSX onto any hardware, even AMD's then I prefer to consider them to be a completely separate type of computer, seriously now.. an OS shouldn't be tied down to a single set of hardware, that's basically what a console is.. a locked down, walled garden, yet the difference here is..? that obviously you have a desktop environment instead of a clunky controller based one, so that's all I want from Apple, let me install OSX onto anything I want to use it on.

The Devil's in the details, Chris. I bought a mid-2012 MacBook Pro (MBP) so I could upgrade the memory and replace the HDD with an SSD. I installed Windows 8 (now 8.1) using Bootcamp. Both OS's work fine. BUT... when I'm using Windows -- even to simply read email in Firefox -- the top surface of the MBP gets uncomfortably warm. My palms and forearms rest naturally on this surface when typing, and it's like they're laying across a heating pad set to medium. I've configured Power Mode to "Balanced (recommended)", where the CPU is supposed to vary from 5% to 100% depending on demand. I have yet to run a demanding Windows program on this thing but I bet it'll really heat up then!

Another item of note is that the top surface near the power and LAN jacks gets HOT. That's not a source of discomfort but it is another indicator that the MBP and/or Bootcamp does not make an ideal Windows laptop. I suspect an OSX feature that's missing in Bootcamp is the ability for the MBP to switch between the Intel and Nvidia GPUs (just a guess based on the heat and the fact that only the Nvidia GPU is listed in Device Mgr).

Lastly, a minor gripe: when a new version of Bootcamp comes out there's no documentation available on upgrading one's Bootcamp partition with newer drivers. Every attempt I've made at getting Apple Support for Bootcamp-related questions has met the same roadblock: "we don't support Windows", which I interpret to mean "We don't support Bootcamp". So be prepared to be receive no Bootcamp-related support from the start.

I know it probably won't happen, I'm just saying.. I refuse to consider it the same thing until then, because that's sort of the direction OSes seem to be heading, that and I guess you missed the part where I said yeah I know you can do that... and not "almost" any intel based PC would work with OSX, less than half the motherboards you could possibly purchase can actually run it or are hackable to do so, thus if you don't plan ahead and/or already own a fairly high-end motherboard, chances are a tad slim you're going to be able to do it, unless of course you want to go through the trouble of supporting your own board.. so in summary, its mostly more trouble than its worth.. might as well just get a Mac.

I know it probably won't happen, I'm just saying.. I refuse to consider it the same thing until then, because that's sort of the direction OSes seem to be heading, that and I guess you missed the part where I said yeah I know you can do that... and not "almost" any intel based PC would work with OSX, less than half the motherboards you could possibly purchase can actually run it or are hackable to do so, thus if you don't plan ahead and/or already own a fairly high-end motherboard, chances are a tad slim you're going to be able to do it, unless of course you want to go through the trouble of supporting your own board.. so in summary, its mostly more trouble than its worth.. might as well just get a Mac.

Well, you certainly won't install OS X on a Celeron or Pentium dual-core with 2 GB of ram and a 32 bit only board.

There are countless Hackintosh forums where you can find out more about the compatibility of individual components or laptops with OS X.

And that's not a problem to anyone who wants to have OS X, and doesn't want to pay cheaper components three times more expensive, just because the packaging has an apple on it.

Apple has always made PC's, ever since it started. PC is an acronym for Personal Computer. If it's for personal use it is by definition a PC, regardless of what's under the hood. It is far more descriptive to describe the machine based on the OS, windows machine, OSX machine, for the above reason that PC is a generic term that covers everything regardless of branding.

Apple has always made PC's, ever since it started. PC is an acronym for Personal Computer. If it's for personal use it is by definition a PC, regardless of what's under the hood. It is far more descriptive to describe the machine based on the OS, windows machine, OSX machine, for the above reason that PC is a generic term that covers everything regardless of branding.

Yes, but Apple, and especially Apple users always emphasize that their computer is ''Mac'',not ''PC''. As if the Mac is more valuable than the PC and can't be put into the same category. It doesn't matter what parts are 99% the same now.

Apple has always made PC's, ever since it started. PC is an acronym for Personal Computer. If it's for personal use it is by definition a PC, regardless of what's under the hood. It is far more descriptive to describe the machine based on the OS, windows machine, OSX machine, for the above reason that PC is a generic term that covers everything regardless of branding.

We've had this discussion before.

Watch this series of commercials, and tell me who it is that makes a distinction. Since Apple is making the distinction, and they are the ones building and selling Macs, I would say its incumbent on the rest of us to follow their leads.

Why do somehow the abbreviations take on an all new meaning ? NT stood for New Technology. Now even Microsoft uses "NT Technology" terminology !. PC stood for Personal Computer.. How did it become synonymous with Windows operating system? For a while there was a second party licensed to build and sell Mac clones. Would they have qualified as Macs?